The Time Turner
by sunny tuesday
Summary: After finding an abandoned Time Turner, Hermione travels through time to Lord Voldemort's seventh year of Hogwarts, planning to thrawt the villain before his reign of terror could truly begin. But she never planned on falling in love along the way.ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

**THE TIME-TURNER  
**By chipped purple nail polish  
2007

**Chapter One  
**"Students, you will have thirty minutes to complete your mid-term exam. This grade will impact your GPA greatly, so please take this exam seriously. Yes, Ms. Patil?" the Arithmancy teacher, Professor Vector, a short, stocky grey-haired man whose glasses gave you the feeling he closely resembled a barn owl, asked. "No, Ms. Patil, we are not offering a makeup test- this is your one and only chance to take it. Time begins- NOW!"

Hermione Granger sighed, looking at the exam in front of her. She tried to concentrate on the questions, but her brain was slipping, until she found herself thinking, quite worriedly, of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, her two best friends in the entire world, who were off doing who knows what all over Europe, searching for the three remaining Horcruxes. Hermione had remained behind, returning to Hogwarts to keep an eye on things there and to study to become a healer, although she wasn't quite sure if she even wanted to do that anymore. So much had happened since her career-advice appointment with McGonagall in fifth year that her attitude and perspective on life had changed quite a bit.

The last she had heard of her friends, they were in Ireland, following a trail that, they believed, would reveal the Hufflepuff's cup once owned by Hephzibah Smith. But that was three weeks ago, and although Hermione knew they were okay, part of her still worried for them night and day...

Suddenly, the timer went off that Professor Vector had set for the exam. Jerking out of her thoughts, Hermione stared around. She had only finished about three fifths of her exam. Appalled at herself for being so lax, Hermione sat back down at her desk, and, head bowed, began organizing her parchment to get her mind off her slowly sinking grade point average. But already she could see her beautiful, perfect A sliding slowly down to a horrible, awful B.

"I will grade these exams quickly, and then pass them back," Professor Vector announced. Hermione felt her lips trembling slightly. Opening up her bag, she pulled out several quills and began to clean them with her wand. By the time she had finished, Professor Vector had completing grading the tests.

"The scores were lower than expected, but that is no big deal... We will review what we have learned so far next week to give them a firmer hold on your minds. This is, after all, a N.E.W.T. class."

Hermione caught her exam as it fluttered past. And she stared at it. And stared at it. And stared at it. She was horrified. She had never gotten a worse grade in her life!

Because on the top of the page, in bright red ink and perfect cursive, was a devastating C.

The bell rang, and Hermione, packing at top speed, ran from the room, toppling into Justin Finch-Fletchey on her way out. She hurried to the seventh corridor, tears rolling down her face as she sprinted down the marble hall. She had never been more humiliated in her life. All of her past stress, worrying about her friends dying and the world being taken over by Lord Voldemort poured out as she paced across the blank stretch of wall back and forth three times, thinking forcefully, _I need a place to hide my test so no one will ever see it... I need a place to hide my test so no one will ever see it...I need a place to hide my test so no one will ever see it... _

Still sobbing, upset over everything that had happened, Dumbledore's death, Sirius' death, Tonks' murder the month before... All of the heaviness that had weighed on her heart since Cedric Diggory had died came pouring out as she wrenched open the large oak door that had appeared and ducked inside, choking.

The test was balled in her left fist as Hermione looked around her. She had walked inside what looked like a giant atrium, large enough to fit at least four muggle football fields inside it. Hermione's tears slowly stopped as she stared around. Centuries of hidden, forbidden objects were everywhere, piled in hills of _things_. Hermione dropped her test on the floor as she surveyed the room. Pausing, she turned to an ancient wardrobe on her left. Curiously, she opened it, and peered inside.

There was a large, moth-eaten bathrobe and an old invisibility cloak. Opening her bag, Hermione slipped the invisibility cloak inside it. She shut the door and continued on, stepping over piles of books and eerie Dark objects, when a glimmer of gold caught her eye. Taking two lateral steps, Hermione found herself in front of a large bookshelf, covered in spider webs and what looked like dry maple syrup. A dusty old cauldron rested on the bottom shelf, full of what looked like the ingredients for Polyjuice Potion. The second shelf held a pair of black gloves and an ugly, bumpy necklace made of what looked like acorns. But it was the third shelf that intrigued Hermione. It was what laid on the third shelf that made her eyes widen with a mixture of anxiety and glee.

Hermione reached her hand up through a large, sticky, silky spider web and, wrapping her fingers around its golden, dusty base, pulled the Time-Turner off of the shelf. Its silver chain had snapped from age, but Hermione easily repaired it with a simple spell. It was of different make than the one she had used in third year; she supposed this one was older. Nonetheless, it would still do as she wished it to. Stowing it carefully inside her stolen invisibility cloak in her bag, Hermione ran out of the atrium, staring back over her shoulder at three century's worth of hidden treasure before opening and shutting the door behind her.

Once back in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione hurried to the dorm. Her roommates were in History of Magic, and although Hermione generally detested ditching, she realized that this was a rare occurrence. And, anyway, it wasn't everyday you found a hidden time-turner that could change the world.

Because Hermione already knew what she would do with the Time-Turner. She had known it since she had seen the glimmer of gold in the atrium; she would go back in time, to 1944, and kill Tom Marvolo Riddle before his reign of terror could truly begin...

**chipped**


	2. Chapter 2

**THE TIME-TURNER  
by chipped purple nail polish  
**_this update: April 23rd, 2007_

a/n: I will try to update after every three-five reviews or so. Thank you for all the reviews so far!

**Chapter Two  
**Hermione wrenched open her bag, spilling its contents onto her bed. The silvery invisibility cloak, which looked as though it was made out of water as opposed to cloth, opened, revealing the tarnished gold of the Time-Turner. Hermione quickly opened her trunk, and pulled everything she believed she would need out of it; her cauldron, basic ingredients for potions, a spell-book, all of the letters she had received for Ron and Harry, and the majority of her clothes. She pulled all of her textbooks, quills, and parchment from her bag and shoved everything inside it, except for the invisibility cloak and the Time-Turner. Closing her bag, Hermione took a deep breath before slinging the cloak across her shoulders. It took a moment for her to realize her hands were shaking.

She recalled Professor McGonagall's warnings from third year, that you cannot be seen or caught by anyone who would suspect anything, and especially not by your own self. But it was the last warning McGonagall had uttered, that had torn at her very heart since she had made her decision. "Never go too far back, Ms. Granger, or you may never catch up with the present. You'll be stuck in the past. By the time you catch up, you will be old and unrecognizable."

Hermione had always been sure not to go too far behind, but she knew now of the terrible risk she was taking. The Time-Turner only escorted her to the past, but it did not take her into the future.

_If it was Harry_, she thought fiercely, _he wouldn't even think about it_.

This knowledge in mind, Hermione used a simple charm to make her bag pocket-sized with her wand, and then, wrapping the Time-Turner around her neck, calculated the amount of turns she would need. Noticing a small switch at the top, where it currently pointed away from "h" and "d" and towards "y", Hermione wagered she'd need about fifty turns. Sighing, she began turning and turning and turning, counting under her breath...

_12...13...14...  
_There was no going back now. She had already pulled the trigger...  
_27...28...29...  
_What if she died killing Voldemort? Would Harry and Ron know how it happened? Or what if they just thought she had disappeared?  
_34...35...36...  
_Would she attend Hogwarts, as a student? What would she tell the headmaster, Armando Dippet that she was transferring from a different school?  
_45...46...47...  
_What if the young Lord Voldemort realized she was trying to kill him? How would she kill him, anyway?  
_51...52...53!!!  
__  
_And as she finally laid the Time-Turner to rest, she felt a slight tug at the navel, and found herself, quite frankly, traveling through _time_. She was surrounded by people, hurrying backwards, changing bed sheets backwards, doing homework backwards, leaving backwards...(or, she supposed, entering forwards). Day, night, day, night, day, night. Fall, winter, spring, summer. The colors and items in the room didn't change, however, and finally, the time warp stopped. Hermione found herself standing in the same exact spot she had been before, only this time, she was surrounded by seventh year witches who had forties hairstyles.

Sinking into a place in the room where they would not bump into her, Hermione watched them critically. She knew that by being in here she was bound to hear some gossip.

"Hey, Brenda!" one red-haired witch called from her bed. "Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend with all of us? Voldemort said he'd come along- you know how fun he can be!"

Brenda, a witch with long, black hair, grinned. "Yeah... Only, this time, let's go to the Hog's Head. I can never hear what people are saying at the Three Broomstick's. And anyway, that bartender, Herald, is creepy."

"Yeah..." another witch, a curly blonde one, agreed. "But Voldemort! Oh my goodness... Isn't he just _dreamy_?"

The others laughed. "Yes," a brunette, over by the window, answered. "But I still prefer Avery."

"Avery? _Really? _Why, Natasha?" Brenda gasped.

"Well, I'm not supposed to say anything-" Natasha replied.

"Oh, come on!" another blonde witch yelled, sitting in the corner of the room, busy drying her hair with her wand. "Dish!"

"Okay, okay," Natasha sighed, even though she really hadn't really put up much of a fight. "Well, I was walking up to the library yesterday after dinner and as I was going through the fourth corridor, this guy grabbed me and stuck me- in a broom closet!"

"A broom closet?!" the girls cried, utterly delighted.

"It was Avery! He asked me to Hogsmeade this weekend and I really couldn't say no... And then he kissed me!"

"Aw..."

Hermione had heard enough. Carefully maneuvering across the room, she stood next to the door. She couldn't leave until someone else did, which, she hoped, was soon.

Finally, a girl with bright violet hair in the corner stood up, bag on her arm. "See you later, guys, gotta go to the library and catch up on some stuff for Binns."

"Ok," Brenda answered. "See you Gretch."

"Yeah- later, Gretchen!"

Gretchen opened the door broadly and stepped through it. Hermione walked closely behind her, trying not to tread on the hem of the cloak. She followed Gretchen out into the Common Room, which was deserted.

Gretchen suddenly turned around. Hermione skeeted to a stop. Gretchen, a look of suspicion upon her face, shot her hand forward, hitting Hermione square in the shoulder. Hermione couldn't help it- she cried out.

"Ah ha!" Gretchen yelled. She shot her hand forward again, and seized a large handful of the cloak in her hands. Hermione didn't have time to react before the cloak was lifted over her head.

"Who the heck are you?" Gretchen asked. Hermione stared at her. Could she trust this Gretchen? Was it worth trusting her? She hadn't spoken at all in the dorm room; she'd been too busy pouring over her books. She did seem studious- except for her shock of violet hair. Then again, she really didn't have much of a choice to trust her or not.

"My name," Hermione answered, sighing, "is Hermione Granger."

**chipped**


	3. Chapter 3

**THE TIME-TURNER  
by chipped purple nail polish  
**_This update: April 27th, 2007_

a/n: Thank you for all of the fabulous reviews!

**Chapter Three **

"Hermione Granger? How come I don't know you? You're wearing a Gryffindor set of robes- and you have a Head Girl badge! But how can that be?" Gretchen demanded. She pointed to a shiny badge on her collar. "_I'm _Head Girl!"

"Listen," Hermione told her, panicking. "Listen, we need to go someplace quiet- someplace where no one can hear us- if someone overheard... This is just really hard to explain! No one...No one was supposed to know I'm here..." she added, in a flushed whisper.

"All right, all right. Put your cloak back on. And if you try to run I'll know," Gretchen told her. Hermione hastily slung the cloak across her shoulders. "Now, follow me- I know the perfect place..."

Hermione followed Gretchen out of the common room, glancing at the Fat Lady on her way out. It was the same woman, only her dress was a shade of blue as opposed to pink. Gretchen hurried up the corridors, and finally, Hermione realized where they were going. _The Room of Requirement. _

Seeing that the corridor was deserted, Hermione threw off her cloak. "All right- think, think... _I need a place where we won't be overheard..." _

Gretchen looked at her funny. "You know about this place too?"  
Hermione nodded, concentrating. Finally, the door appeared. Gretchen seized the handle, and they walked inside. It was small, just a tiny little room with a table and chairs. Hermione sat down in one chair, and Gretchen followed suit.

"So, _Hermione Granger_, Head Girl of Gryffindor, which means you're a seventh year. But that doesn't seem right. Who are you, and where did you come from?" Gretchen inquired, slightly calmer than before.

"You have to trust me..." Hermione told her. "And I have to trust you..." She swallowed dryly. "I'm from the year 1998."

"This- this is 1944!" Gretchen cried, aghast. "That's- that's 54 years from now!"

"I know." Hermione told her. "I go to Hogwarts in the future."

"Prove it to me," Gretchen demanded. Hermione gritted her teeth, thinking. Finally, she had an idea. Searching through her bag, she pulled out a sack of coins. On top was a gleaming Galleon. Pulling it out, she showed it to Gretchen.

"Made in year 1993... But it still could be bewitched..." Gretchen muttered accusingly under her breath.

"Well, then, try me," Hermione shrugged. Gretchen rolled her eyes. Pulling out her wand, she held it over the coin.

"_Revelio!_" she cried, snapping the wand harshly. It was still the same old galleon. Gretchen had to give in. She was convinced.

"But, that doesn't explain why you're here." Gretchen said. "Or _how_ you're here, for that matter."

"Listen, this is hard to explain..." Hermione told her. "Do you know who Tom Marvolo Riddle is? Or perhaps, Lord Voldemort?"

Gretchen eyed her funnily. "That creepy guy in Slytherin? All the girls in my dorm- excuse me, this school- practically _worship_ him. So does old Sluggy. But why do you care? You're from, what, a million years from now? What does Riddle have to do with you?"

"A lot of things..." Hermione told her. "You have to promise me, Gretchen, that you won't tell a soul... If Riddle found out who I am and why I'm here, he'd kill me."

"Why are you here then?" Gretchen asked, crossing her arms.

"Look, let me start from the beginning..." Hermione told her. "It'll make more sense this way, okay?"

"Whatever," Gretchen shrugged. "Shoot."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Okay... About nineteen years ago there was a pureblood named Merope Gaunt, a witch living with her father and brother over in a small village. The Gaunts were very poor, and their only wealth was a few artifacts inherited through family- they were direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin, you see, anyway, Merope was in lo-"

"-What does this have to do with _anything_?" Gretchen interrupted.

"It'll make sense! You just have to listen, okay?" Hermione reprimanded her.

"All right, all right. Go on then."

"Ok, where was I? Oh, yeah. Anyway, Merope was in love with a muggle who lived in the village, but her family despised muggles; they tortured them and believed them to be less than human. But one day Merope ran away, giving the boy she was in love with- a Tom Riddle-"

"Oh, I see," Gretchen supplied.

"- a love potion. They got married, and Merope later got pregnant. However, she was deeply in love with her husband, and decided to ease off on the potion, deciding that, by now, her feelings must be returned. They weren't. Tom left her when he discovered who it was he had married. He despised magic. He despised Merope."

"Okay, we're getting warmer. Let me guess- Riddle in my year is their son?"

"Precisely," Hermione answered, smiling. "Anyway, Merope, without a will to live, traveled to London, where she realized she had no money. The only thing she had was that heirloom- Slytherin's locket. She decided to sell it, and got ten galleons for it (far less than it was worth, scumbag Borgin and Burkes...). Anyway, she went into labor soon after, and went to an orphanage, where Tom Marvolo Riddle was born. She died soon after."

"So, this Merope chick was Riddle's mom?" Gretchen asked, surprised. "I mean, I knew he had grown up in an orphanage and everything (everyone knows...), but still..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. " Hermione agreed. She quickly went on about Riddle's early life, and then his beginnings at Hogwarts. And then she went on to talk about the Death Eaters, which caught Gretchen in surprise.

"Death Eaters? _What? _There's a load of people, mostly Slytherins, who go by that name all the time. Death Eaters! They torture muggles?"

"And kill wizards. Wizards who will not join their side. And muggle-borns. Or, what they called Mudbloods." Hermione added bitterly.

"You're kidding," Gretchen whispered. "They kill...muggle-borns?"  
"Yeah," Hermione told her. "I'm a muggle-born. A lot of Slytherins in my time say that I'm going to be one of the first to go."

"Me too," Gretchen added. "I mean, I've never been _threatened_ per say, but I'm a muggle-born too."

That caught Hermione by surprise, but she was glad to hear it. They now had a few more things in common.

"Anyway, Voldemort started killing and controlling a lot of people- I mean, a _lot_ of people. Every day, more and more were dying... But there was a prophecy. Voldemort heard it, or at least half. It basically said that a boy was going to be born at the end of the seventh month to a couple that had defied Voldemort three times. That boy would be able to kill Lord Voldemort."

Gretchen's fingers were gripping the table so hard her knuckles were white.

"So, when the boy- Harry Potter- was one years old, Lord Voldemort sought him out. First, he killed his father. And then he killed his mother, who was willing to die for Harry, and in doing so, sealed an ancient magic that Voldemort hadn't been expecting. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded on him. He was torn from his body, and presumed dead. Harry survived, and was a hero."

Hermione sighed, staring at her nails. "Harry's my best friend."

"Really?" Gretchen asked. "He is?"

"Yeah. He's in London right now...I really worry about him. He's had some really lucky breaks."

"But... That still doesn't explain why you're here," Gretchen pointed out.

"Okay, well, three years ago, Voldemort came back. And he's been wreaking havoc ever since. It's the war all over again. People are dying. And only Harry, my friend Ron, and I can stop it... But I found an easier way to do it. A much easier way."

"And what's that?" Gretchen asked. "Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah." Hermione told her. "I found a Time-Turner. Have you heard of one?"

"I've read about it," Gretchen said. "But I've never seen one."

Hermione pulled the brass hourglass out of her bag and showed it to Gretchen. "This is it. It brings you back in time. I used it to come here. I plan to kill Lord Voldemort...before he can kill anymore people."

Gretchen nodded. "You're telling the truth," she said, eyes glimmering. "No one's that good of a storyteller."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad you believe me."

"So, what do we do first?"

"What do you mean, 'we'?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I go here," Gretchen asked. "I see Riddle on a daily basis. I can help you." She stuck out her hand. Hermione looked at her, cocking her head to the side.

"You can promise me," Gretchen told her. Hermione felt relieved.

"All right," she said, reaching out and shaking Gretchen's hand. "It's a deal."

"Deal," Gretchen agreed. They released hands. The air seemed somewhat thicker than a moment before, but Hermione was finally able to breathe properly. "So," Gretchen leaned back in her chair. "How exactly are you planning to kill Voldemort?"

"I've had several ideas, nothing spectacular..." Hermione answered. "I don't want to curse him... We need to be sleeker than that." She bit her lip and stared into her bag, which she had returned to its normal size when she had sat down. The top of her cauldron poked out. "I can only think of one way... But it's not exactly foolproof."

"And pray, what's that?" Gretchen asked.

Hermione closed her eyes, then looked up at her. Her lip trembled slightly. She had never killed anyone before. "I was thinking...we should poison him."

**chipped**


	4. Chapter 4

**THE TIME-TURNER  
by chipped purple nail polish  
**_this update: April 30th, 2007_

a/n: Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews!

**Chapter Four**

Gretchen leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. She looked at Hermione sharply. "You're asking me to...to _poison_ someone that could very well not be the person you're accusing him of being?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Er...precisely."

Gretchen shook her head. Leaning forward, she sighed. "All right... I don't know why the heck I'm doing this- I've never been the type to, well, want to _do someone in_ before, but I suppose- I mean, you did prove you're from the future and you told this terrible story that no one in their right mind could think up- you _are_ in your right mind, aren't you?"

Hermione stifled a smile. "Yes. I am perfectly sane."

"That's what they all say, isn't it?" Gretchen asked rhetorically, her violet hair catching the light. "All right... I guess- I'm in."

Hermione released her smile. "Good. Where do you think we should start?"

"Well you, Hermione," Gretchen began, standing. "Ought to stay here. Hardly anyone knows about this room, and, anyway, I _highly_ doubt that they'll know the right thing to say to find you in here... So, yes... And I don't really talk much, and I spend an awful lot of time in the library-"

Hermione got a fleeting image of herself.

"-so it won't be too suspicious if I'm not around too much... But this potion thingy- how exactly do you slip it to someone who sits three tables away without him being suspicious? And, anyway, how on earth are we going to make it?"

"I can brew it," Hermione said, tapping the protruding cauldron in her bag. "I got an 'O' on my O.W.L.s for potions. We just need to choose a potion whose ingredients aren't too crazy and doesn't take _forever_."

"Okay..." Gretchen agreed. "But it still doesn't solve our problem. How do I slip it to the guy?"

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them, she said softly, "Lord Voldemort... doesn't have friends, Gretchen, I doubt he ever has. So this will be difficult, oh so difficult, but it's the only way, truly, I suppose- Anyone could do it, I guess, he may be a Dark wizard but he still has a Y chromosome..."

"What are you talking about?" Gretchen demanded.

Hermione grinned. "I need you to make Lord Voldemort fall in love with you. I don't care how. It just needs to happen."

"Wha- no! Ew!" Gretchen cried.

"Oh, come on," Hermione chided her. "It can't be that hard, can it? And you can't say he isn't good looking..."

"Well, yeah, but- I mean, he's _nefarious_. EVIL! I can't- I can't love him."

"It doesn't matter if you love him. It just matters if he loves you, Gretchen." Hermione pointed out. "I'll fix the potion, and you'll fetch the ingredients if I need them, and you will get Voldemort to fall for you. Some way or another. Seduce him. I don't know. I don't care."

"No, I will not!" Gretchen cried, standing. "I am not going to play dumb with Lord Voldemort! I don't care if he kills hundreds, thousands- millions!- of innocent people. I _refuse_ to do that."

Hermione inhaled, and sat back in her chair, sighing. "You don't care? That's fine, if you don't, I'm not forcing you to do anything. But ought I give you a better idea of just how bad it is? Of how many people have died?"

Gretchen stared at her, anger etched onto her olive face. She didn't say a word.

Hermione dipped her head. "Remus Lupin... He's in his forties now... His young wife, Tonks- oh, I miss her so much- was murdered a couple of months ago by Voldemort. And when Remus was a little kid his father accidentally offended a Death Eater, and Lord Voldemort sent Fenrir Greyback after him. Greyback's a werewolf. Now Remus is too."

Gretchen's hand went to her mouth.

"And then Susan Bones- a girl in my year... She's lost all of her family to the Death Eaters. And Neville Longbottom... his parents were tortured into insanity by some Death Eaters... They're at St. Mungo's now, and they don't even recognize him..." Hermione drifted off, letting the power of her words impact Gretchen in the troubled silence.

A tear glistened in Gretchen's eye. "All right, all right..." she whispered. "I'll do it, I'm not sure how, but I'll try-"

Hermione nodded. "Okay," she answered softly.

Gretchen made for the door. "I'll be back soon, and we can talk about this more, okay?" She wiped her eye with the back of her hand.

"Okay," Hermione agreed. "See you."

"See you," Gretchen replied. And she was gone.

Hermione closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair. A tear slipped beneath her eyelid and ran down her cheek. Even though she knew she'd never give it to him, Hermione slipped out a piece of parchment and began to pen a letter to Harry.

_Dear Harry,_

_You wouldn't believe it if I told you (I am still finding it hard to believe myself) but I am in the year 1944. Odd, isn't it? I found a Time-Turner in the Room of Requirement, and it brought me back here... And I'm going to kill Lord Voldemort. I don't know how, but I am. I did the math, and I know that the only Horcrux he has made so far is that awful ring of the Gaunt's. I don't know how I'm going to find it or destroy it, but I know I must. There is no other way._

_I'm so sorry, Harry, about Ron and I. I didn't tell you why I stayed at Hogwarts; I was pretty sure you knew, and if you didn't know, you would figure it out. Before the end of term last year, Ron confessed his feelings for me... But I have never felt more than friendship for Ron, and I felt awful after telling him that. He was angry with me; that entire summer was awfully awkward. I knew that I couldn't stay with you and Ron. Ron needed time to heal, and Hogwarts needed a member of the Order, now that they've recruited us. _

_I told no one, however, of the Order that I was coming here, and part of me wishes I did. I know Dumbledore is a teacher here (in 1944), but I don't see how I could go to him and get his help. He told you he was always weary of Riddle as a child, but I suppose he never quite foresaw what he would turn into... It's hard to believe, though, that I could speak to Dumbledore if I wanted. I still can't believe he died..._

_I met a girl here. Her name is Gretchen, and she's a lot like me, except for her bright violet hair. She reminds me of Tonks almost... She's going to help me on my quest to kill Riddle. It took ages to convince her he was truly evil and that she could trust me, but once I did she seemed to believe me. We decided to make Riddle fall in love with her... I don't know how, really- he never was one to get close to anyone. But he is still human, and he is still a boy...I wonder how accomplished he is at Leglimency right now? If he's really good, than I suppose there's no point of Gretchen even trying... But perhaps he isn't? Perhaps we have a chance?_

_I miss both you and Ron. Good luck on your journey, and hopefully someday I will join you once more..._

_All my love,_

_Hermione_

Hermione shoved the letter into her bag and pulled out her potions textbook, thumbing through the pages, searching for a potion that could help them. The only one that might was The Draught of Living Death, but there was an antidote... She needed something more...permanent.

Rubbing her eyes, she suddenly felt very tired. Stretching, she thought about bed. Suddenly, she looked around and found herself in a squishy armchair in the middle of a luxurious suite, complete with a restroom, office, and kitchen. Smiling, Hermione walked to a dresser. Inside it she found a stack of maroon silk pajamas. Slipping out of her robes and into the sleepwear, Hermione yawned. She walked over to the bed and tunneled under the covers. The moment her head hit the pillow she fell fast asleep.

**chipped**


	5. Chapter 5

**THE TIME-TURNER  
by chipped purple nail polish  
**_this update: May 8th, 2007_

a/n: sorry for the long wait. I've had some serious writer's block with this story, so we shall see...any ideas, anyone? lol. enjoy!

**Chapter Five**

The next morning was a Saturday, and Hermione opened the door to find Gretchen on the threshold, holding a basket and her schoolbag. Letting herself inside, Gretchen closed the door behind her. She nodded her approval at the room. "Nice suite."

"Thanks," Hermione replied. She sat down at the table and Gretchen sat down across from her.

"Listen, Hermione, I don't think this idea is going to work." Gretchen told her. "You don't know Riddle very well. I've been doing about six years and three months of study with him; he's not the type to fall in love. All the girls love him; you heard them in the dorm room. And sure, he flirts sometimes, but he's never had a girlfriend or a lover. He doesn't even have a best friend."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking about that last night. About how I wanted you to make him fall in love with you. You're right. It was too rash on my part. We have to be careful... He could get suspicious... We need to think this through..." Hermione ran a few fingers through her long, curly hair. "We need another person... And I think I know who..."

"Who?" Gretchen asked, helping herself to a banana from a fruit bowl that had appeared out of thin air.

Hermione grabbed a slice of pineapple, taking a small bite and licking its sweet perfume off of her fingers. "Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? You've got to be kidding! Sure, he's a great Transfiguration teacher and all, but he's crazy..." Gretchen informed her. "All the students think he's some big joke... He's so sure of himself, he thinks he's the coolest thing, since, like, forever."

"He is though," Hermione argued. "In my time, he's the Headmaster, or, at least...he was. But he's the only person Riddle was ever afraid of. And sure, he was a bit wacky, but he's so cool..."

"Whatever," Gretchen rolled her eyes and tossed her banana peel into a trashcan, "You really want to talk to Dumbledore?"

"Yes. We can trust him. _He's Dumbledore_. And he'll believe us. "

"All right then, let's go."

Hermione quickly pocketed her wand and the Time-Turner and flung the Invisibility Cloak over her shoulders.

"You know, I don't believe I'll ever get used to you wearing that thing." Gretchen pointed out as they approached the door.

"I can relate," Hermione grinned, recalling walking through Hogsmeade beside an invisible Harry.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend I'm going to the library," Gretchen whispered as they walked down the seventh corridor. "His office is right next to it."

"Ok," Hermione answered back. They drifted into silence as they walked down several moving staircases until they reached a door marked "Professor Dumbledore's Office." Gretchen reached up one hand- Hermione noticed her nails were a violent shade of electric blue- and knocked on the door three times.

The door opened inwards, and a young Dumbledore, with vibrant red hair and auburn beard to boot stood in the opening.

"Hello, Ms. Miller. What do I owe this meeting?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes sparkling. He was dressed in robes of a dark blue speckled with yellow crescent moons.

"I...uh...I need to talk to you...about that last Transfiguration essay, er, Professor," Gretchen lied dumbly. Dumbledore held the door wide open and allowed her entry, but before Hermione could walk inside, he had shut the door.

Hermione heard Gretchen whisper something urgently, than the door was opened once more and Hermione ducked inside.

"It's safe," Gretchen informed her, and Hermione through off the cloak.

"Awe," Dumbledore smiled. "And you are...?"

"Hermione Granger, Professor Dumbledore. I'm a seventh year from 1998." Hermione told him, straightforward. "I know I can trust you, Sir."

"That is very pleasing to hear." He smiled, conjuring two squishy armchairs out of thin air. "Please, do sit down, and tell me this astonishing tale."

Hermione explained how she had arrived in 1944 and that she was staying in the Room of Requirement.

Dumbledore smiled at her. "But, Ms. Granger," he said, brushing his long fingers through his auburn beard (his nose wasn't as crooked, and he was not wearing spectacles yet, but he was still the same old Dumbledore, through and through). "Why have you come back at such a great risk? What you are doing is illegal. Not that the law has ever bothered me, but..."  
Hermione gulped. Hastily, she began again. "Sir, in the future... You do know who Tom Marvolo Riddle is?"

Dumbledore did not seem surprised. "Yes, he's a student. Head Boy, actually."

Hermione felt Gretchen tense up. She obviously disliked having that in common with Voldemort.

"Yes, well, in the future, he goes by a name called Lord Voldemort, and he is the most feared wizard...ever, really," Hermione explained. "In the first battle in the 1980s he killed hundreds of people, muggles and wizards alike. But there was a prophecy... And he believed he had to kill a boy named Harry Potter. And he tried, but Harry's mum had the choice of dying for him or not, and she died for him, and sealed an ancient magic that rebounded the Killing Curse. Voldemort 'died', you could say. But he didn't because he'd made several Horcruxes-"

"H-Horcruxes?" Dumbledore asked. "You are sure?"

"Positive," Hermione informed him. "You told me yourself, in the future that is."

Dumbledore nodded, leaning back in his chair. Hermione took that as a sign to continue.

"Anyway, he got his body back later making an awful potion that required a servant's hand, his father's bones, and Harry's blood. And now he's killing again. More than ever. It's the second battle right now."

"And that's you've come here?" Dumbledore asked. "To end it before it begins?"

"Yes," Hermione told him. "Riddle is an evil wizard... He's killed hundreds, thousands maybe... We can't let him do it! We have to stop him."

Gretchen nodded from her spot. Dumbledore took a deep breath.

"You are not lying, Ms. Granger, I know that," Dumbledore told her. "I believe you. The only trouble is...how do we solve this?"  
"He's already made a Horcrux, Sir; a golden ring with a black cracked gem on it. It was his uncle's or something. I'm sure of it." Hermione added. "We need to destroy it in order to-to kill him."

"He's one of my students," Dumbledore whispered. "There must be another way."

A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. "I can't see a different way Sir. I don't want to do this...anymore than you do."

**chipped**


End file.
